Lost Episode: Non-Prom
by mrs.morris
Summary: End of Season 4 (After Cut Day). The Junior Prom is coming up, but Bayside is plagued with heartache. No one is in the mood to celebrate romance, except for Screech who finally has a date to the prom- Violet. Will the prom still go on? NOTE: I have updated previous scenes and combined some scenes to make them longer. (Screech/Violet and of course Zack and Kelly... angst)
1. Scene 1: Outbreak of Heartbreak

_Junior Prom is coming up. Unfortunately, an epidemic of heartbreak has hit Bayside—hard. It started with Kelly and me and has caused major blues ever since. Kelly and Jeff are over since he cheated on her. Eric left Lisa to go back to New York, and then, she was let down by her stuck up rebound, Brainy Brian. And Jessie and Slater, well, ever since cut day, they have cut back on seeing each other. All of us are realizing that when we should have romance, we're all dateless._

As Zack glanced around at the halls of Bayside, the usual lively bustle of teens is replaced by a moping, frowns, and dragging feet. Two twin girls lean against their lockers eating chocolate. A young guy drags past them, one twin grimaces and throws a wrapper in his direction. It rolls off his shoulder. Without a glance back, he continues to walk past them to his locker which is surrounded by moping guys. One stares longingly at a photo of a girl, then, breaks down crying.

Zack motions around the hall, "See what I mean." He skips down the steps, but stops abruptly at the bottom when he hears the familiar echo of-

"Hey, hey, hey, HEY! What is going on here?" Mr. Belding questioned as he made his morning hallway rounds.

"Heartbreak, sir," Zack replied somberly.

Mr. Belding turned frowning. "Well, this can't be," he whined. "Junior Prom is coming up this weekend. Who's going to buy a ticket like this? What are we going to do?" He waved his arms and twirled around leading Zack to take in the big picture.

"We?" Zack quickly countered raising his brows.

"Yes, we. You're a member of the prom committee, aren't you?"

"Well, I was…but sir …" Zack stammered.

Mr. Belding put a hand on Zack's shoulder. "That's what I thought," Mr. Belding gave Zack a wide smile and spoke through his teeth. Zack knew this expression. It meant Belding wanted his help and wouldn't stop until Zack agreed.

"Zack, prom is not only a special night for teens, it is one of the biggest revenue earner of the year," then, Belding loosened up as he waved his hand in the air, "Besides, no student really wants to miss their prom. You remember how much fun you had last year, don't you?"

"Well, technically, I didn't go to prom last year. I had my own," Zack reminded him with a smirk. He thought for a minute about how excited he was about the dance this time last year. It had been his first serious date with Kelly—where it all began. He shook his head to snap out of his daydream.

As he snapped back to reality, Mr. Belding was reminiscing about his junior prom. Zack smiled and nodded shifting slowly away to manage an escape. Then, the bell rang.

"Gee, sir, as much as I would love to hear the end of your story, I really must get to class," Zack faked.

"I guess you're right. Oh, and don't forget, after school, we've got a prom committee meeting."

"Can't wait!" Zack rubbed his hands together with a fake smile, spun around and shook his head.

"Zack!" Jessie ran to catch up with him in the hallway. "I just ran into Mr. Belding. He told me that you are planning an emergency prom committee meeting. While I admire the initiative, I don't understand what the emer—"

"Jessie, look around you," Zack motioned. Jessie glanced around, but her face was still puzzled. "No one wants to go to the prom because no one has any dates! Almost every couple at Bayside has broken up!."

"Not everyone is without a date," Jessie corrected him. "I'm going with Graham," she hugged her books dreamily and smiled. "I've already bought my dress. It's green. I thought Graham would be a fan of earthy tones," she beamed with pride at her choice.

Zack rolled his eyes, "IF Graham doesn't protest against the Styrofoam plates we'll be using at the snack bar!"

"You aren't going to tell him about that are you?" Jessie panicked. When Zack shook his head no, she regained her composure. "Anyway, I'm sure you have a date in mind."

"Of course. I'm Zack Morris."

"So, Jennifer?" Jessie asked.

"No, she moved again. Remember?"

"Oh, did she? I didn't even notice." Jessie replied nonchalantly.

"Jessie, you helped load her belongings onto the moving van."

Jessie shrugged, then swiftly brought up another name, "Kristy?"

"Nah, she's been so focused on wrestling, we haven't went out in weeks."

Both got quiet.

"Wendy?" Jessie asked hopefully.

Zack shook his head. Suddenly, Graham ran over to Jessie. He wiped sweat from his forehead.

"Jessie," he said between gasps, "it's about the prom." He pulled her by the arm over to toward the lockers.

"Yes, Graham. If this is about not renting a limo, I completely agree, they are such polluters. I—"

"Of course, I wouldn't think of it," he caught his breath. He straightened up and placed his hand on her shoulder. "This is bigger. A group of us are taking a trip to march at D.C. to stop oil drilling. I bought a ticket. Our voice is going to be heard on the capitol steps! This could be a huge win for the environment!"

"That's great! It's an opportunity you've been waiting for!" They both hugged.

"It is great isn't it?" he agreed as he began to skip away.

"Wait, I thought you said this was about the prom," Jessie called out beaming at him.

"Yeah, about that," he told her in his mild way, "We leave Saturday."

Jessie's smile faded, "The day of prom?"

"Yeah. but I knew you'd understand. We're talking about saving the world. When choosing between that and prom there's no comparison in importance."

"Right," Jessie said weakly.

Zack walked over to Jessie and put a hand on her shoulder. "Jessie, I'm sorry. I know how excited you were..."

Jessie smiled widely at him. "Oh, no, he's right prom isn't that big of a deal. I mean, what he is about to do...," she trailed off then, tried to sound more cheerful, "He's going to change the world! All I was going to do was change my clothes. It's silly. I'll see you after school." She spun around and walked quickly away as tears welled in her eyes.


	2. Scene 2: Non-prom

Jessie, Zack, Alan, Slater, and Lisa waited in silence in Mr. Belding's office for the prom committee meeting to begin.

"Where's Mr. B?" Slater asked breaking the silence.

"I haven't seen him since this morning," Jessie mumbled.

Zack shrugged. "I guess I could start the meeting. I know what he wants to talk to us about."

"Well, I, for one, have places to be, so start it, honey," Lisa commanded.

"Belding says no one is buying tickets to prom. He says that prom is a big source of money for our school, and he would like to see us find a way to encourage students to go. "

"That's true," Lisa added. "No one wants to go. Everyone is too heartbroken. No one is in the mood for romance."

"Yeah, that's what I told Belding."

"Love stinks," Alan commented.

"Yeah, prom is a waste of time. We should all march against it," Jessie added bitterly.

"Who says prom has to be about love?" Zack countered.

"Everyone," Slater remarked. "If you go to prom alone people look at you like you are a leper."

"So, what we've got to do is get people to see prom in a new way. We've got to get them to forget about the romance and dating part."

"And how are we going to do that?" Lisa asked.

"By playing up the other parts, " Zack answered.

"Like?" Slater waited.

"Well, it is an excuse for me to look even more beautiful than I normally do," Lisa remarked with a joking smile.

"True, the dressing up is fun," Jessie agreed.

"The food is always tasty!" Alan chimed in.

"And everyone likes to dance," Slater smiled.

Zack snapped, "That's it! We won't make it seem like a prom at all, it'll be more like a dance club! I mean, we all know how cool The Attic is and lot's of people go there without dates. That's part of the fun," he explained. "We'll call it Non-prom!"

"I like it!" Lisa cheered.

Zack pointed and began to give out orders, "Ok, Slater, you pick the music. Lisa, you're in charge of decorations. Alan you cover the food—hey, and don't eat it all this time! Jessie, you are in charge of ticket sales."

"So, what are you doing, preppy?" Slater asked.

"Marketing of course!" Zack grinned.

The others sat looking at each other a little hesitantly. Then, Jessie spoke up, "Alright, I mean if anyone can sell this idea, it's Zack Morris!" she nodded her approval.

Zack grinned cockily.

The office door opened framing a surprised Mr. Belding. "Well, you all are early!" he observed pleasantly surprised.

"Nope, you're late!" Zack informed him looking down at his imaginary watch.

"What, but my watch says..." Mr. Belding replied in confusion.

"Sir, relax. I've got it all taken care of," Zack comforted as he put his arm around Mr. Belding and led him to his desk.

Mr. Belding gave him an unbelieving look, "Yeah, that's what I was afraid of," he scoffed.

"Mr. Belding, I'm hurt," Zack stepped back putting a hand on his chest. "After all, you asked me to take care of the situation and I did. We are having a non-prom!"

Mr. Belding began to sit down in his chair then, stopped. "A non-prom?" he laughed. "That doesn't sound like you are having a prom at all!"

"That's because we aren't, sir!" Zack told him.

"Morris, the idea was to get students to go to PROM!" Mr. Belding told him as he stood up straight behind his desk.

"What Zack means is we are having prom, but it's in disguise," Jessie came to his rescue.

"So we are having prom?" Mr. Belding asked confused.

"A non-prom, sir," Zack corrected.

"Which is prom," Mr. Belding said trying to clear up his confusion.

"Except it's not," Lisa chimed.

Mr. Belding sat slowly down in his chair with a puzzled expression. "So the rest of you are on board with this?"

The committee members nodded.

"Well, I hope it works."

The students left his office chattering about the dance and their ideas.

"Non-prom," he muttered when his office was clear. "What'll they think of next?"


	3. Scene 3: Last Couple Standing

Zack smoothed his hand over the last Non-prom poster and taped it up. He climbed down the ladder admiring the view.

"Non-prom?" Mr. Belding shook his head again. "I still think it sounds a little too rebellious."

"Mr. Belding, the only way we can get people to come to the prom is by making them think they aren't going to a prom at all! Look around you Mr. Belding. Students are energetic again. Hey—and Jessie said we've already made a fortune in tickets."

Mr. Belding took a slow turn around the hallway taking in the new scene of students who were smiling, laughing, and talking. Mr. Belding shrugged his shoulders, "I guess you're on to something, Morris." and walked away. "Non-prom," he mumbled and shook his head.

"Zack, I just convinced three nerds and a dweeb to buy Non-prom tickets!" Screech yelled flailing his arms and legs widely as he ran toward Zack.

"Atta boy, Screech!" Zack gave him a pat on the back.

"Yeah, telling them that no one is going to have a date made them beg me to buy tickets!" Then, he paused, "No one is going to have a date, right?" he asked timidly.

"Right," Zack confirmed.

"You see, Violet kind of already asked me to be her date. She's says it's very important that we go together. She's very forceful."

"Yeah, I could see that," Zack remarked sarcastically. "Screech, you can still be together without going together. If you have a date, it will ruin it for everybody. We're supposed to be single and… mingle," Zack convinced him twirling his fingers trying to come up with a less cheesy word.

Screech scratched his head. "So, I can go with Violet without _going_ with Violet."

"Sure, once you're there, who's to say you can't dance every dance with her," Zack shrugged.

"Thanks, pal," Screech slapped him on the back. "I'll tell Violet."

Zack smiled as he watched his goofy friend run down the hall. "Oh, Screech!" Zack called after him, "Congratulations on being Bayside's last couple standing!"

In the middle of the hall, he noticed three girls pointing at the non- prom sign and chatting. He raised his eyebrows and approached them with his signature charm. "Ladies, please tell me you'll be attending the non-prom Saturday."

"Well, it sounds fun, but we don't have dates," a petite blond replied.

"But that's the beauty of the non-prom. No one needs dates," Zack informed them in the sweetest voice he could muster. The girls stepped back in shock, their mouths hanging open as they hung on Zack's every word. "It's all about meeting new people, dancing, and having a blast. And best of all, without a date, my dance card is empty which means, I'll need some beautiful girls to dance with," he grinned and winked.

The girls giggled wildly. "We'll see you there!" a dark haired girl cooed. The girls scurried to the cafeteria happily.

Zack rubbed his hands together and grinned, "This is going to be the best prom—"he spun around but stopped in mid sentence to see Kelly staring up at the non-prom poster. He lost his smile as he remembered that he had had his best prom ever already, and if he were to be honest, he would be prom's biggest fan if he and Kelly were still together. But honesty had never been Zack Morris's strong suite.

"Non-prom. Sounds very Zack Morris to me," she squinted her eyes at him. "Let me guess,"she pointed, "this is a scheme that will finally allow you to have multiple dates at once," she laughed.

"You know me too well," he grinned. Then, he stood next to her staring up at the poster. They were both silent.

She pushed her hands into her pockets of her floral, jean skirt. Zack mirrored her movement without realizing it. "Are you going?" he asked nodding toward the poster.

"I bought my ticket today," she replied shuffling a little.

"Oh, so you didn't have a ticket already," it came out more as a statement than a question.

"No, but Slater convinced me that it would be fun. He promised me a few dances in case I was afraid I wouldn't have anyone to dance with."

"I don't think you have anything to fear," he glanced at her. She smiled at him. And with that smile he forgot about the chance to dance with every girl at Bayside. He forgot about Jennifer, Kristy, and Heather. He wanted to ask her to be his prom date. He wanted to start the chase all over again. But it was over. They were friends. He liked being single.

He cleared his throat, "So, Slater convinced you. I guess you both are still… you know… since cut day…" Zack couldn't figure out how to phrase it.

"He's a great guy and we have a lot of fun together," she cut in noticing his loss for words. She stopped for a beat as she stared up at the poster on the wall. "We're friends."

Zack couldn't help but smile a little as he glanced over in her direction.


	4. Scene 4: A Rich Curse

"Jessie, please go with us!" Lisa begged from outside of Jessie's bathroom door. "Forget about Graham!"

"Yeah, Jessie! Let loose! Have some fun!" Kelly added.

"You guys don't understand," Jessie told them as she walked out and flopped on to her bed. "Graham was right. Prom is so unimportant compared to the bigger issues of the world. But for some reason, I'm sad that he chose the environment over me. I'm such a hypocrite!" She pulled a pillow over her face.

"Well, yeah, but it's never cause you to be depressed before!" Lisa replied innocently.

Kelly made a face at her. Then, she pushed her out of the way to sit next to Jessie on the bed. "Jessie, look. We know how much you care about saving the world. But you are still a teenager!"

"There is nothing wrong with having fun in between protests marches!" Violet snorted sweetly from Jessie's desk.

"And it's ok to be mad at Graham. He was being a jerk," Lisa reminded as she sat on the foot of the other side of the bed.

"Yeah, he made you a promise and didn't keep it," Kelly added

"So get up, get dressed, wipe that frown off your face—or at least cover it up with some lipstick!" Lisa joked as she grabbed a tube of lipstick from Jessie's desk.

Jessie slowly removed the pillow from her face and sat up. "Tonight, I'm going to have fun and forget that I don't have a date. I'm an independent woman!" She lifted her chin into the air, "I don't need Graham."

The other girls giggled and lifted their chins in the same manner.

"And I don't need Jeff!" Kelly chimed.

"Brian who?" Lisa asked defiantly.

They all looked at Violet. She laughed awkwardly, snorted, and pushed up her glasses. "Samuel…" almost looked as if she were going to cry.

"Well, not all guys are bad," Kelly reminded them. "I mean, there are some guys who will do anything for a girl they care about. _Like Zack, _she thought.

"Yeah, and sometimes even when you are convinced they're scum, they change your mind," Lisa said softly. _Like Eric_, she remembered.

"And some guys are a challenge in a good way," Jessie thought aloud. _Like Slater_, she dreamed.

"My Samuel is all of those things!" Violet cried. She began to sob.

Lisa, Jessie, and Kelly exchanged puzzled glances. Screech was not who came to mind when they had said those things.

"Well, sure he is Violet. I don't know if you knew this, but I had a crush on Screech once," Kelly told her trying to soothe her.

"And I went on a date with him and it wasn't a total nightmare," Lisa recalled as she shrugged.

"When I bid on him in the date auction, he was a very considerate date," Jessie agreed.

They looked at each other unsure of how to calm the hysterical Violet.

Finally, Violet sniffed, and muttered, "I know all of those things!"

Jessie handed her a tissue, and Violet blew her nose violently.

"That's why it's going to be so hard to break up with him!" she bawled.

Lisa, Kelly, and Jessie gasped in unison as they looked back and forth at each other in surprise.

"WHAT?!" Lisa exclaimed putting a hand on his chest.

"Violet, why are you breaking up with Screech?"Kelly asked trying to sound sympathetic.

"Boarding school…" Violet choked. "In Europe!" she wept.

"Wow!" Lisa breathed a low whistle. "You are rich, honey."

Jessie elbowed her and gave her a disapproving frown.

"And it's a curse that has been separating me from Samuel ever since we first met!" Violet exclaimed as she buried her face in her hands and began to sob all over again.

"When did you get accepted?" Jessie asked moving over to place her hand on Violet's shoulder.

"About a month ago," Violet snorted, "I could never bring myself to tell Samuel."

"So that's why you've been in and out of school lately," Lisa deducted.

"Yes," Violet nodded, "I've been going to interviews, talent auditions, touring the schools. I have a private tutor to make up for the school I am missing. But nothing makes up for the time I'm away from Samuel."

"So when are you planning to give Screech the news?" Kelly asked.

"Tonight," Violet answered somberly.

"Can't you tell him another night? You know, instead of non-prom night," Lisa asked concerned.

"I'm leaving Monday," Violet replied solemnly. "It has to be tonight."

Kelly shook her head in disbelief, "Poor Screech. He'll be heartbroken."

"Yeah," Jessie agreed sadly, "I guess no one is immune to heartbreak."


	5. Scene 5: My Girl?

Zack straightened his tie in the mirror. Then, he pushed up his tux sleeves. He grinned at himself in the mirror and styled his blond locks one more time.

"Morris. Zack Morris," he said seriously. Then, he started laughing.

"Hey, preppy!" Slater called from outside the door. "You ready?"

Zack opened the door to find Slater and Screech staring at him. Slater was wearing a dark blue suit with no tie. Screech was wearing a ruffled shirt, black tux, and bow tie.

"Lookin' sharp, preppy," Slater grinned.

"You too, my man," Zack responded with their handshake.

"Even Screech is a chick magnet!" Slater joked.

Screech strutted across Zack's room making a dorky, yet confident face. "I know I'll be hard to resist. So when the girls flock to me, be pals and take them off my hands," Screech requested.

"If you insist," Slater winked as he jumped swiftly into Zack's bean bag chair.

"This is going to be an unforgettable night!" Zack told them finger combing his last hair in place as he studied his reflection in the mirror. "For one, I never imagined you two would be picking me up for prom," he joked.

"Yeah, you aren't my type, but these are desperate times," Slater countered with a grin.

"Speak for yourselves! You're looking at Bayside's most ineligible bachelor," Screech pointed to himself.

"Yeah, keep rubbing it in, Screech," Zack laughed. "We all know you plan on spending the whole dance with Violet," he paused, "But who are you planning on dancing with, Slater?" Zack pried to see if Slater would admit to promising Kelly a few dances.

Slater adjusted his tie as he lounged in the bean bag chair. "Well, I promised Kelly a few dances. But she probably won't be very free tonight. I'd say almost every guy will be lining up to dance with her."

"Oh contraire," Screech replied waving a finger. "Unless the guy is from out of town, no guy has the guts to ask Kelly out—or even to dance. Every guy at Bayside still considers her Zack's girl," he told them matter of factly.

"That's crazy, Screech. She hasn't been my girl in months," Zack replied in disbelief. "Besides, guys have dated her since then—"

Screech nodded, "Yeah, but, not guys from Bayside!"

"Screech has a point, Preppie. The only guys that have asked Kelly out at all are Jeff and Johnny Dakota!" Slater pondered.

Slater and Screech both stared at Zack with squinted eyes, causing him to laugh uncomfortably as he slowly sat down on his bed. "Guys, come on. That's not the case. And even if it were, what am I supposed to do about it?" he shrugged.

"Nothing, I guess," Slater replied honestly.

"Look! You guys are thinking too much into this. Kelly dated Jeff. She just doesn't want to date! Do you really think that _Kelly_ would ever have a problem finding a date?"

Slater and Screech thoughtfully shook their heads no.

"So you don't mind me dancing with her then?" Slater asked.

"Not at all," Zack shrugged, "So many girls will be begging me to dance. I won't even know you're there." He smirked and then, faded into his thoughts. _They still think she's my girl. She's moved on. Do people think I haven't?_


	6. Scene 6: Crazy

"Zack, I've got to hand it to you, this non-prom was a great idea! My students are happy again AND we've raised money for Bayside!" Mr. Belding beamed as he patted Zack on the back. "You know, when I was your age I came up with great ideas too! I remember my junior year, our school needed to raise money for the class trip so I—"

"As much as I'd love to hear your story," Zack interrupted, "I've got some girls waiting on me." Zack waved at the line of girls who giggled and waved back at him. "Maybe another time, Sir?" he asked innocently.

Mr. Belding nodded. "Go ahead, son. Go cut a rug!"

"Cutting, sir," Zack smiled and backed away. He turned to the crowd of patient girls. "Oh, boy!" he exclaimed rubbing his hands together.

"Girls, since there are so many of you and so few songs, how about we double up?" He smiled charmingly and held out both arms for two girls to link up. Two girls looped their arms through his as he escorted them to the dance floor. The leftover crowd of girls sighed in unison and made their way to the bleachers to wait for their turn to dance with Zack. As they cleared out, Jessie, Lisa, and Kelly met up at the snack bar.

"Have either of you seen Violet?" Kelly asked quietly.

"No, not since we arrived. She just kind of disappeared!" Lisa replied.

"What about Screech?" Kelly asked nervously.

"I've been looking, but I haven't seen him all night," Lisa answered. Then, she paused and put her hand up to her mouth in surprise. "I can't believe I just said that!"

"Look, tonight is supposed to be fun," Jessie whispered, "We aren't supposed to think about guys."

"We aren't thinking about guys, we're thinking about Screech," Lisa corrected.

"You know what I mean, Lisa" Jessie told her. "There's no reason for us to sit around and mope. We could have done that at home."

"It's just that it will be such a surprise," Kelly sympathized.

"I feel for the little dork. But what can we do?" Lisa asked. "Do Zack and Slater know?"

"Know what?" Slater asked causing all three girls to jump.

"What?" Lisa asked nervously.

Slater looked puzzled. "I thought you asked if Zack and I knew about something."

"She did," Kelly assured him.

"Yeah, Lisa was just wondering if either you or Zack knew who made this delicious cake!" Jessie lied.

"No. Neither of us was on the food committee. You'd have to ask Alan," Slater told them. "Now I have a question for you. Why are three of Bayside's hottest ladies standing around at the snack bar instead of dancing?" Slater questioned.

"We were, but we were distracted," Kelly admitted.

"By cake?" Slater asked confused.

"Yeah, you know girls and their love for chocolate!" Lisa told him.

"But it's white cake," Slater corrected. Lisa bit her lip.

"Lisa has trouble with her colors," Kelly responded.

"How are you going to make it in the fashion world?" Slater asked amused and shook his head. "Anyway, I noticed you three weren't dancing, and I had promised Kelly a few dances, so..." his voice trailed off. "Kelly, do you want to dance?" Slater asked shyly. Kelly glanced at Jessie, but Jessie didn't seem to be bothered at all. Then, she smiled, took Slater's hand, and walked with him to the dance floor.

"You look great," Slater told her flashing a dimpled grin as he danced to the upbeat music.

"Thanks," Kelly smiled back, "You look nice too, Slater."

"You know," he began, "I don't know if I told you, but I had a really fun time on cut day."

"Me too," Kelly responded with a slight smile.

"I was just thinking that maybe you might want to—"

Suddenly, a girl bumped into Kelly, causing Slater to stop mid sentence. "Sorry," the girl smiled then, danced her way back to her partner. Slater took a few steps back to allow Kelly some more room.

They both laughed and shook their heads, then, Slater began again, "As I was saying, I was wondering if—"

This time a different girl bumped into Kelly. Slater shot her an annoyed look. The girl waved and danced back to her partner. Slater watched the girl closely and realized that she danced her way back to Zack. In fact, the other girl who had bumped into Kelly was dancing with Zack too.

Slater held up a finger to Kelly to signal to give her a moment. Then, he danced his way toward Zack flashing his most friendly grin.

"Preppy, can you share the dance floor?" he asked Zack through his teeth.

"I'm sorry. Did I bother you?" Zack asked with phony innocence.

"Well, _you_ didn't. But both your dates keep bumping into Kelly. It makes it kind of hard to dance."

"We'll try to be more careful," Zack replied.

"Ok, then," Slater said as he walked back over to Kelly.

"I think we'll be okay now," he assured her. After a beat of silence, the music changed to a slower tempo. Slater and Kelly scooted in for a slow dance. They swayed for a moment only to be bumped a third time by a new date of Zack's. Slater grimaced and marched over to Zack's direction.

"Hey, what gives, preppy?" he asked annoyed. "I thought you were going to keep your dates away from us."

"Sorry, Slater, but it's hard to slow dance with three girls at once!" Zack replied motioning to his dates.

Slater rolled his eyes. "You're sure that's the problem?" he questioned as he pulled Zack by the arm off the dance floor.

"Yeah, what else would it be?" Zack replied coolly straightening his coat.

"Alright," Slater glanced over in Kelly's direction. "But if you want to cut in, just say so," he told his best friend. Zack waved his hand in the air to convince Slater he could care less. Slater shrugged and walked back over to Kelly.

"I think I took care of the problem," Slater told her as they danced again.

Kelly nodded and smiled. "So, what were you going to ask me?"

Slater looked over Kelly's shoulder in Zack's direction and caught his friend's eye. Zack immediately broke eye contact and began flirting with one of his dates. "Oh, uh, I was just wondering if you'd mind if I danced with Jessie and Lisa for a couple of dances," Slater told her as he scratched his head.

"Sure," Kelly smiled.

The music stopped and a new song began. Zack bowed to his dates, and they pranced off the dance floor giggling with happiness. Another girl sauntered up to him ready for a dance. Zack danced with her as he glanced distractedly around the gym. He watched Screech and Violet box-step across the floor where he noticed Lisa dancing with Moose and Jessie dancing with Slater. Then, Zack saw Kelly standing at the punch bowl alone smiling as she watched other couples dance. She was wearing a pink dress that draped of her shoulders. She looked beautiful. Yet, as beautiful as she looked, there was no line of guys waiting to dance with her. "These guys must be crazy," Zack thought aloud.

"Huh?" one of the girls dancing with him asked.

"Excuse me," Zack smiled as he twirled a girl around into the arms of a short nerd with a squeaky voice. The nerd's jaw dropped. The girl looked at Zack with a puzzled expression, but continued dancing.

"Thanks!" he squeaked as he gave Zack thumbs up. Zack returned the gesture.

Zack slid through the maze of dancing people to the punch bowl without Kelly's notice. As he dipped out a cup of punch, he spoke, "Dancing can sure make a guy thirsty!"

Kelly turned and smiled softly. "Especially when you dance with three girls at once!" she joked.

"Yeah, I think I've worn a couple holes in my shoes," he bragged. "I bet you've worn out the heels on your," he joked as he glanced down at her shoes.

Kelly laughed and shook her head no.

"Come on, there must be a ton of guys who have asked you to dance," Zack told her.

She crinkled her nose and shook her head.

"Really?" Zack asked genuinely surprised. Then, he thought about what Screech had said. "These guys must be crazy to not ask you to dance." He sat his punch down on the table. They both stood silently for a minute staring at the dancing bodies.

The song changed to a slow song again. "You know, it doesn't seem right to not dance at least one dance together," Zack told her and held out his hand.

"Zack," Kelly hesitated. Zack motioned for her to come on, and they stepped onto the dance floor. Zack placed his hands carefully on Kelly's waist and she slowly placed her hands on his shoulders. They looked at each other for a moment, and then, down at their toes both smiling a shy smile.

"Kelly," Zack whispered. "I think the reason why no one is asking you to dance is because of me," he admitted.

"What do you mean?" Kelly asked looking up at him.

"Well, for some reason, a lot of the guys still think of you as my girl," he answered gazing above her head.

"Do you?" Kelly questioned.

Zack looked down at her and their eyes met for a moment.

"Kelly!" Lisa exclaimed grabbing her friend by the arm. "Violet needs us."

"I'm sorry, Zack, I have to go," Kelly told him.

"Sure," Zack responded. He watched and Kelly and Lisa slipped out the gym door. "I'll wait," he said softly.


	7. Scene 7: Say Goodnight, Say Goodbye

Kelly and Lisa met up with Jessie and a snorting Violet in the girl's restroom. A stream of toilet paper flowed from Violet's hand to the second stall's holder. Jessie was trying to comfort Violet, but Violet kept slipping from her grasp as she paced back and forth quickly.

'Oooh!" Violet crooned sadly. "I'm sorry I had to take you away from your prom! I'm just ruining everyone's night!"

"Well, it's not really a prom, so, really, you can't ruin it!" Lisa tried to convince her.

"Yeah, besides, you know we are always here for you," Kelly comforted.

"I tried telling him when I first saw him, but I didn't want to ruin the dance before it even started. Then, I started to tell him between the fox trot and the waltz, but I never had the chance!" her voice began to rise. Then, she was silent.

Violet slid down a stall door and sat down in front of a stall. Kelly, Jessie and Lisa crouched down beside of her. A cloud of aqua, hot pink, lime green and purple taffeta surrounded the girls as they knelt beside their weeping friend. "I just can't tell him," Violet whispered.

"The fox trot and the waltz?" Jessie asked confused.

"Those are the only dances I know," Violet explained. "Maybe I'll just disappear and he'll never notice," she told them pushing her heavy glasses back up her nose.

"He needs to know that you are leaving," Lisa told her.

"You'll break his heart even worse if you don't say goodbye," Kelly added.

"You're right," Violet nodded. "I said I would tell him, and I must." She started to stand, but got her foot caught in the mess of taffeta. The other girls tried to help her, but found themselves caught in the material as well. After a little struggle, all four girls were up again, smoothing out their dresses.

Kelly, Jessie, and Lisa gave Violet a weak smile as she slipped out the bathroom door.

With her head down, Violet walked slowly down the hall, the clicks of her heels were the only sound she heard until she arrived at the gym door. She hesitantly opened the door and peeked her head in. Scanning the room, she saw Screech sitting on the bleachers holding two cups of punch a goofy look was on his face as he searched the room. Violet knew he was looking for her. As soon as he saw Violet, he waved and ran clumsily over to her with a cup of punch in each hand.

"Here you are, my heart!" He grinned as he handed her a cup of punch. "You know, I was thinking I could teach you a couple of my moves during this next song. You tuck in your arms like this," he explained tucking in his arms like bird wings, "and you just flap them around as you move to the music!" he told her demonstrating.

Violet smiled meekly, "That's wonderful, Samuel. But I was wondering if we could talk."

"Sure, my heart!" Screech straightened. The two walked over to the bleachers and took a seat.

Violet looked down at her hands and her chinned quivered.

"What's wrong, Violet?" Screech asked concerned.

"Samuel," Violet spoke softly as her chin continued to quiver. "There's something I have needed to tell you for a while now, but I never had the courage."

"I know where this is going!" Screech said as he patted her hands. "I'm crazy about you Violet, but I'm going to have to say no," he told her gently. "We're both too young to get married!"

Violet shook her head, "No, Samuel. I'm not asking you to marry me."

"Whew," Screech said wiping his forehead. Then, a realization came over his face. "You're sad because you've got something bad to tell me."

Violet nodded. "Samuel," Violet cleared her throat, "I got accepted to a boarding school in Europe."

Screech sat straighter, "Wow! You've always wanted to study abroad! You've already gotten accepted to a prestigious college! That's great!"

"It isn't a college, Samuel. It's a high school," Violet informed him solemnly.

"But Bayside is a high school and you go to Bayside," Screech corrected. Then, his face dropped. "Oh," he realized.

"Yeah. Oh," Violet agreed. "My parents think it will be best for me. I have to move soon while there is still an opening."

"How soon?" Screech asked.

"Very soon," Violet told him twitching her nose. "Monday to be precise," she looked back down at her hands. "I wanted to tell you sooner, but I just couldn't bring myself… it just didn't seem real," she drifted off. "I never wanted to break your heart Samuel," she told him as she shook her head.

A sad look came over Screech's face, but he tried his best to turn it into a smile. "Look, Violet. Don't be sad because of me. This is the opportunity of a lifetime! As much as I want you to stay, I'm not the kind of guy who would ask you to give up your dreams. I'd never forgive myself, and I think, in the long run, you'd never forgive me either" he told her as he put his hand on hers. "I'm just a geeky guy who lucked out for a semester when he met you!" he grinned goofily.

"Oh, Samuel!" Violet cried as she flung her arms around him. "I'm going to miss you so much!"

Mr. Belding walked over to the two and tapped Violet on the shoulder. "Violet, your parents are here. They are waiting outside." Then, he turned and walked away.

Violet pushed up her glasses and smiled weakly at Screech. "I guess I've got to go."

Screech nodded. "Would you like me to walk you out?"

Violet shook her head.

Screech looked down at his shoes sadly.

"I'll never forget you, Samuel Powers," Violet whispered as she kissed him on the cheek.

He raised his head and gave a sideways smile. "I'll never forget you either, Violet."

A tear escaped down Violets cheek as she stood up and gave a small wave.

"Goodnight, Violet," Screech waved back.

"Goodbye, Samuel," she whispered.

"Goodbye, Violet," Screech whispered as he watched her disappear through the gym door forever.


	8. Scene 8: My Heart

Kelly, Lisa, and Jessie had watched from the other side of the gym as Violet and Screech said their goodbyes. The scene couldn't have been any more heartbroking if it had been directed by one of Hollywood's top producers. The goodbye was so intimate the girls wished they hadn't witnessed it so that it could have belonged to only Screech and Violet forever. But they had seen it, and now their hearts were shattered into bits by the damaging blow heartbreak had delivered to their friend.

"Poor guy," Jessie observed sadly.

Kelly nodded and wiped her eyes gently to prevent smearing her mascara. "Maybe we should go talk to him," she whispered.

"What would we say?" Jessie asked.

"I don't know, but we can't just stand here," Kelly admitted. "Look at him."

Lisa was quiet. Although, she rarely admitted it, Screech had grown on her over the years. Her feelings for him were in no way romantic, but she was growing fond of him. She imagined this must be how a sister would feel toward her very annoying -but occasionally sweet- little brother. She was able to turn him down and throw insults, but when others hurt him, she felt an urge to thump them. Violet had hurt Screech, but Lisa didn't feel anger because she knew Violet was hurting just as much as Screech with no friend to comfort her. Lisa's heart ached for her friends, but she knew it in no way matched the pain Screech was feeling at the moment.

She recalled the terrible day Eric left. Her heart felt as if it had been ripped out of her chest and only an empty hole remained. Lisa knew that nothing she could do or say could help Screech right now. Yet, her feet involuntarily led her across the dance floor until she found herself perched beside him on the bleachers.

She wasn't sure if Screech was even aware of her presence because he continued to stare intently at the gym door as if he thought enough concentration would will Violet to walk back in and say her parents had changed their minds. Lisa didn't dare make a sound as he stared, afraid that if she did, she might be the reason it didn't work.

She counted the songs that played in the background until Screech finally broke the silence. The expression on his face looked alarmingly familiar. Then, it occurred to Lisa that she had seen this same expression when he lost Hot Dog to Max Nerdstrom. It was the face that he made when he thought his world was crashing down on him and he might never survive.

"Violet's gone," he confided.

"I know," Lisa replied tenderly.

"Everything hurts. Especially, my heart," his voice was weak as he lifted his hand to his chest. His bottom lip began to quiver as he repeated his last two words, "… my heart…" Lisa put his arm around him. He flopped his head down on her shoulder. His face disappeared beneath a mess of dark curls which shook with grief. She gently patted his head as she became just what every friend needs when their heart breaks- a shoulder to cry on.


	9. Scene 9

Zack stared down into his cup of punch as if it held the secrets of the universe. He swirled it around watching the foam slowly disappear. He wasn't sure why he was watching this foam dance instead of dancing with one of the many girls who were impatiently waiting their turn. He looked over at the dwindling line. Many of them had given up after he had sat out of the last three songs, and they were now dancing with other guys.

He took a small sip of punch when he felt a hand on his back, "Hey," a familiar voice greeted him.

Zack licked the punch off his lips as he turned. "Sorry, I left you," Kelly smiled timidly. Zack noticed her mascara was slightly smeared.

"Have you been crying?" he asked worried. He quickly sat his cup of punch down on the table and put his hand delicately on her shoulder.

Kelly nodded, "I need to talk to you."

Zack's heart raced. He couldn't tell if the beat he heard was coming from the speakers or his chest. The only thing moving faster than his heart was his brain. Thousands of thoughts dashed through his mind as he tried to figure out what Kelly might want to talk about. _Did she want to finish the conversation we were having before Lisa pulled her away?_ Zack didn't feel very up to it at the moment. He wasn't even sure he **could** finish it. _Did Slater ask her on a date? Does she feel the need to let me know? Is she upset because it's my fault no guy will dance with her? Did Violet ask Screech to marry her? Did something happen to Screech?_ Whatever it was, Zack tried to brace himself so he could respond coolly.

Kelly took his hand and led him away from the blasting speakers until the music was just a background noise. Now Zack knew the beat he heard was his own heart. He searched Kelly's eyes for a glimpse of what she was about to tell him. Kelly gripped his hand tightly. Her blue eyes misted over with tears as she gazed over his shoulder. Zack turned following her gaze until he saw exactly what she saw—a broken Screech. Zack's brow furrowed with confusion, "What happened?"

"Violet's leaving Bayside. She's moving to some boarding school in Europe," Kelly confided. "She just told him tonight," her voice cracked with emotion as she delivered the news.

"Oh, man," Zack sympathized.

"Lisa went to talk to him, and he just started crying. I didn't know what to do," her voice trailed off.

"Poor guy," Zack tilted his head back and sighed. "I can't believe I didn't even notice!"

"Don't feel bad! You were dancing. Besides, who would have thought they would break up at a—"Kelly's words came to a dead stop. Her eyes caught Zack's. She was sure her mouth was still hanging open and that the word must've escaped without her knowledge by the look on his face. She knew that the memory of their last dance was playing back in his head vividly, so vividly that she could see scenes of it flickering in his hazel eyes as if they were projectors showing old slides of their past. Her cheeks burned red, and she wished with everything within her that she could slip through a crack in the floor, but she was frozen. Zack looked at her not with bitterness or anger, but with remembrance and realization.

"I should have noticed. I don't even know what I was thinking. I haven't even been dancing for the last three songs. I've just been at the punch bowl," he confessed somberly.

Kelly looked a little confused, but she didn't ask any questions.

"I need to take him home. He needs a change of scenery," Zack told her. _I need a change of scenery_, he thought.

"That a good idea," Kelly agreed.

Zack nodded. He took a step toward Screech when he noticed that he was still holding Kelly's hand. She let go and his hand slid slowly from hers.

"Zack," she spoke only slightly louder than the murmur of music. "I'm sorry we didn't finish our dance." She looked as if she could burst into tears at any moment.

"It just wasn't meant to be," he tried to say lightheartedly, but the words carried so much weight that they hurt his chest when they came out. He smiled in attempt to show Kelly that it really was ok.

He turned erasing the last few moments from his mind in order to be strong for his pal. But a pestering thought kept coming back to his mind, _How can you help a friend get over heartbreak when you don't know how to get over it yourself?_


	10. Scene 10

Slater glanced over from the road ahead to take a quick glance at his blond bud. "You alright, Preppie?" he asked concerned. He knew Screech was down, but he couldn't figure out why Zack who had seemed to have the night of his life seemed so depressed. Then, it hit him. "You still think of her as your girl don't you?" Slater asked him. "That's why you couldn't let us dance in peace out there."

Zack didn't look up, but he spoke, "It's the strangest thing. I know we're over. It's just hard to see her with another guy. Part of me thinks that as long as she is not seeing anyone else there is a chance that someday—"

"The two of you will be together," Slater finished never looking away from the road.

"It sounds corny, doesn't it?" Zack half smiled as he looked up at Slater.

"Yeah," Slater smirked. "Look, Zack, she's gonna see other people. You're gonna keep seeing other people. Then, who knows?" Slater told him.

Zack nodded silently. Then, he glanced back at Screech who was staring out the window. "How're you doing, Screech?" he continued the chain.

Screech gave Zack a lopsided smile that everyone knew meant he felt terrible, but was trying to pretend he was fine. Slater looked at him through the rearview mirror.

"It gets better, Screech," Slater assured him.

Screech still didn't say a word. Zack looked over at Slater wondering how he was so sure that things get better.

"I had to leave my girlfriends whenever and wherever I moved. I was heartbroken at first, but I got over it."

Screech stared at him still silent. Zack spoke for them both, "You—were heartbroken?" his voice showing disbelief.

"Well, yeah," Slater's voice cracked with sincerity.

"But when you moved here, you chased Kelly as soon as your feet hit the halls," Zack reminded him.

"That doesn't seem like someone who is too heartbroken to me," Screech spoke for the first time since they'd been in the car.

"Screech, remember when you thought Violet was avoiding you because she was gone for weeks? Didn't you start chasing Lisa again? You even treated Jessie like she was your girlfriend at the date auction dance," Slater raised his eyebrows.

Screech's mouth opened as he started to refute it, then, he put a finger to his chin thinking.

"So what are you trying to say, Slater? That chasing girls heals heartbreak? Because I've tried that, and it's not worked so far," Zack reminded him.

"No," Slater admitted as he shrugged, "But I guess you could say it was a step to recovery."

Screech had slid into the middle of the back seat and was leaning up on the console. Zack was turned as far toward Slater as the passenger seat allowed. Both of them hung on every word that their friend spoke. "So?" they both asked together.

"A part of me will always care about the girls I had to say goodbye to, but when I found someone else I could love, it helped me not be heartbroken anymore. I can't really explain it. It's a love phenomenon."

"Now, who's the corny one?" Zack teased Slater.

Slater shot him a dirty look, "Yeah, well, I'm a sensitive guy." He paused for a beat and then added in his best Jessie voice, "Or you could always try writing about it in your diary and release your inner most thoughts and feelings."

Then, they all three burst into laughter.


	11. Scene 11: Did We Ever Have a Chance

Zack flipped the light on to his quiet room and flung his tuxedo jacket on his bean bag chair. He looked into the small mirror on his wardrobe door and began to loosen his tie. His mind drifted to the advice Slater had given him and Screech in the car.

He had tried chasing girls, and he wouldn't give up on that. Who knows? Maybe he could find a girl he could care about at least a little as much as he cared for Kelly. After all, Slater had found Jessie helping him to get over the girlfriends he had left behind. Screech had cared about Violet helping him forget about his lifelong crush on Lisa. He just hadn't found that girl yet. In the mean time, maybe Slater had been on to something when he gave his mock Jessie advice.

"Write about it in my diary," he chuckled. Then, he remembered his notebook that he had kept on his shelf which was covered in scribbles of "I love Kelly" and "Kelly and Zack forever". Zack shook his head with a small smile as he sat down in his desk chair.

He flipped open to the last page with writing. It was the song he had written for Kelly around the time they had broken up. The one they were going to sing together, but Kelly had to work and couldn't rehearse. He used to write songs for her all the time. She loved it even more than when he read Shakespeare to her. She had told him that knowing someone thought she was that special made her feel like a real life Juliet. He smiled at the thought. It was easy to write then, Kelly inspired him. He hadn't written any songs since then.

He spun around in his chair and grabbed a pen, feeling particularly inspired—inspired by the events of the night. Screech and Violet. Slater's talk. Kelly. The night had without a doubt lived up to its name. He scribbled the pen for a few seconds trying to get the ink flow to catch up with his flow of thoughts. Suddenly, he was scratching down line after line:

Thought we'd always be together,

I was sure our love would last.

Here I am, all alone, wond'rin' what went wrong.

Did we ever have a chance?

It's hard to see this world without you,

A lonely place without romance.

Here I am, all alone, wond'rin' were you've gone,

Did we ever have a chance?

What did we promise to each other?

What were the words we said?

Lookin' back to yesterday,

When we started off,

Did we ever have a clue what love was all about?

Thought we'd always be together,

I was sure our love would last.

Here I am, all alone, wond'rin' what went wrong.

Did we ever have a chance?

He closed the notebook and placed it carefully on his shelf. He slipped into bed hoping his questions would be answered in time. But until then, he would take Slater's advice and keep chasing until he found what he was looking for. "Good luck to you, Screech," he whispered. "I hope you heal faster than I do."


End file.
